Summary
After serving Rockstar Games for 16 years, the Writing Director behind the renownedRed Dead Redemptionfranchise, Michael Unsworth, has left the company. The series has been in the spotlight lately due to the recentPS4 and Nintendo Switch ports for the originalRed Dead Redemptionand the ensuing backlash from the community over its price. Now, as fans hold out hope for the franchise’s future, the departure of aRed Dead Redemptionveteran may pose a challenge for the studio.
Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser left back in 2020, a little over two decades after founding the company with his brother Sam Houser. Later, Dan went on to set up a new operation and eveninvested in blockchain games studio Revolving Games. Incidentally, Dan was only one of three writers who contributed to bothRed Dead Redemptiongames' writing. The latest departure announcement would mean that Rockstar has lost another one of its long-time creative forces.
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Recently, GTAForums user Rucke spotted Michael Unsworth’s updated LinkedIn profile which indicated he has leftRockstar Games. Michael, who had been part of the company for over 16 years, was a notable figure behind the writing of bothRed Dead Redemptiongames. He has been part of nearly every popular Rockstar title, including writing credits forLA Noire,Max Payne3,GTA4 andGTA 5. As of now, neither Rockstar Games nor Michael have released any official statement about the departure.
ButRed Dead Redemptionisn’t the only franchise that has seen high-profile departures. In the same year as Dan Houser’s exit,GTAwriter Lazlow Jones left Rockstar Gamesafter nearly 20 years working in the company. Among Lazlow’s most notable contributions include producing dialogue forGTA’s characters and radio stations. He was also known for his appearance as a radio host for most of the series under the same name.
Incidentally, Michael’s exit comes at an interesting time for the studio asRockstar prepares to releaseGTA6alongside rumors of a brand-new game in development. While high-profile departures from veteran gaming studios aren’t anything new, the few departures in the form of Lazlow Jones, Dan Houser, and now, Michael Unsworth could prove tricky for the studio in the years to come. Either way, it will be interesting to see how things will pan out for the studio.
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